a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material used for managing processing conditions, a method of managing processing conditions by using this photosensitive material and an apparatus for processing the photosensitive material for carrying out the processing condition management.
b) Description of the Related Art
In a general developing station, a negative film is developed by a film processor and the image of a resulting film is printed onto paper by means of a color printer, and the printed paper is developed by means of a color processor to obtain a print from the photographed film. In recent years, a printer processor, in which a printer and a paper processor are combined, has been widely used, and its operation is carried out in a manner similar to the above-described apparatus. When used over a long period of time, a developing solution cannot hold its normal performance due to the excess and/or lack of replenishing solution, oxidization by air, inclusion of the solution used in the preceding process. Therefore, in order to keep the print quality constantly excellent, it is necessary to constantly manage the developing solution of the film processor and the developing solution of the paper processor. Therefore, conventionally, a film developing control strip, which is prepared in advance on a film by exposing under a plurality of conditions, is passed through a film processor while a control strip for evaluating developing performance of paper, which is also prepared in advance on paper by exposing under a plurality of conditions, is passed through a paper processor, so that the developed film or print is measured in density to manage the processing conditions such as in developing or the like.
In addition, in order to provide consistent, high-quality color printing by the printer and processor, it is necessary to manage the developing solution for correct developing and to properly set a standard exposure condition of the printer to the apparatus. Although, to this end, the standard exposure condition is set at the time the printer is installed, when color paper having different emulsion numbers is used, or when it is desirable to change an exposure lamp of the exposure portion, or the developing solution is to be exchanged, or as at the turning point of the season, the content of the picture is changed from the colorful to the less colorful or vice versa, since the printing condition is also changed, it is necessary to modify and reset this standard exposure condition.
In addition, since the printing condition is also changed due to the contamination or deterioration of a light source system including a dimmer filter, halogen lamp, reflector and the like or the replacement conditioned thereby, it is necessary to modify the standard exposure condition and reset it in a manner similar to the foregoing. When the standard exposure condition is modified, a reference negative film provided with a portion corresponding to the average object color about a portion corresponding to the negative which photographed a gray object is used, and the density of a test print printed and developed from this reference negative film and the density of a previously printed and developed reference print (target density) are compared for modification.
However, the workmanship of the control strip differs depending on the kind of the photosensitive material used as the control strip, and also on the degree of the seasonal aging. Therefore, it is desirable to carry out the management of conditions by taking into account the kind of the photosensitive material or degree of seasonal deterioration although, in this case, it has been necessary to carry it out by applying the correction data for managing the conditions which take into account the characteristic change or the like of the photosensitive material for each of the control strip and matching the control strip with the above-described data for managing the conditions, which has in turn made the work complicated.
In addition, in order to provide consistent, high-quality color printing, it is necessary to properly set the copying condition of the printer, that is, the exposure condition to the apparatus. Although, to this end, a standard exposure condition is set at the time the printer is installed and an appropriate exposure condition (copying condition) is achieved based on this standard exposure condition, when a color paper having different emulsions is used or an exposure lamp of the exposure portion is exchanged or the developing solution is exchanged or the content of the photograph is changed from the colorful one to the less colorful one, or vice versa at the turning point of the season, since the printing condition is changed, it is necessary to modify and reset the above-described exposure condition. In addition, since the printing condition is changed by the contamination or deterioration of the light source including the dimmer filter, halogen lamp or reflector or the like or its replacement conditioned thereby, it is necessary to modify and reset the standard exposure condition as in the foregoing. When the standard exposure condition is modified, a film for setting the copying condition, such as the standard negative film or the like, is used. For example, for the standard negative film, a plurality of images for setting the exposure condition, which is provided with a portion corresponding to the average object color, is recorded about the portion corresponding to the negative film which photographed a gray object, depending on the exposure, and the image density of the previously printed and developed test print and the image density of the reference print (target density) are compared with each other to correct, set and manage the exposure condition (copying condition).
This correction principle is explained according to a most simplified exposure operational formula. This exposure operational formula becomes as shown in the following expression (1) (where: c, m and y represent three primaries according to the subtractive method),
______________________________________ Dco = Cc (Dc - Dnc) + Kc Ic + Kd Id + Bpc + Bnc (1) Dmo = Cm (Dm - Dnm) + Km Im + KD Id + Bpm + Bnm Dyo = Cy (Dy - Dny) + Ky Iy + Kd Id + Bpy + Bny ______________________________________
where:
Dc, Dm and Dy: measured value of the negative density (LATD) to be printed PA0 Ic, Im and Iy: number of color key steps (if no correction is made, 0) PA0 Id: number of steps of the density keys (0 if no correction is made) PA0 Kc, Km and Ky: value of step of the color key PA0 Kd: value of step of the density key PA0 Bpc, Bpm and Bpy: paper balance value (reference value is 0) constant within a paper channel PA0 Bnc, Bnm and Bny: negative type balance value (0 for the reference value) PA0 Dnc, Dnm and Dny: density value for the reference negative (normal) of that negative type PA0 Cc, Cm, Cy: slope value (different values are each assumed for 0 and U as follows.) PA0 breakdown:
constant with the negative channel (See the following table.)
Cco, Cmo and Cyo: overslope value of the negative type PA1 Ccu, Cmu and Cyu: underslope value of the negative type
Dco, Dmo, Dyo: density value for controlling exposure For example, the exposure Er for red (R) is determined according to the following formula. EQU Er=En.times.10.sup.Dco ( 2)
Here, En is the exposure of the reference negative (normal) of the negative type and also the constant. The exposure of green (G), blue (B) is also determined by Dmo and Dyo.
Now, taking the minor density value change and .gamma. value of the cyan of the color paper as .DELTA.Dpc and .gamma.c respectively, then EQU .DELTA.Dpc=.gamma.c.times..DELTA.log(Er) (3)
and the following formula (4) can be obtained according to the formulas (2) and (3). EQU .DELTA.Dpc=.gamma.c.times..DELTA.Dco.times.log(En) (4)
Thus .DELTA.Dco can be evaluated according to the inverse operation. Assuming now that differences between the density value of the normal test print of the reference negative and the density value of the reference print are each .DELTA.Dpc, .DELTA.Dpm and .DELTA.Dpy, if, for example, .DELTA.Dpc is desired to set to zero and the operational result Dco of the above-described formula (1) EQU Dco'=Dco-.DELTA.Dco (5)
then the .DELTA.Dpc is canceled and that difference becomes zero. What constant should be changed depends on what density of the reference negative that negative assumes.
As in the formula (5), EQU Dmo'=Dmo-.DELTA.Dmo (6) EQU Dyo'=Dyo-.DELTA.Dyo (7)
As a result, the condition is set as follows.